Fuel Tanks And East/West Coast Mirrors?

Hope everyone is having a safe day today. I have two questions:

Fuel tanks - do the trucks burn fuel from both tanks simultaneously or in sequence (like "saddle bags" on pickup trucks - one tanks runs low then switch to the secondary tank)?

Which mirror is East coast and West coast?

Just curious how that works.

Meper

The tanks pull from both. They're a gravity feed system in comparison to a sealed and pressurized system in your normal automobile. It uses a crossover valve to draw from both but don't be surprised when you're driving along and you're at almost 1/2 tank, then a few minutes later you're at almost 3/4. It's the system working both tanks for equal weight distribution as well as use.

In regards to mirrors, the nose of the truck is north. So the driver side is west coast, blind side is east.

Hey Robert B. Thanks for the reply. I was wondering how the mirror designation worked - now it makes sense.

Thanks,

Meper

The draw is from one tank. Usually the right hand tank. There is a crossover that is supposed to equalize the tank levels.the return goes back to both tanks.

If your tank vent gets plugged you can run out of fuel because it can not equalize. Or if your tanks are low, you do not want to be leaning to the left.

So me trucks pull from the left tank but they never pull from both at the same time. I have personally not driven a truck that pulls from the left side.

I have run out of fuel where the right tank is dry and the left was 3/4 full. Found the tank vent plugged. Unplugged that and fuel started transferring to the right tank. Created a vacuum lock in the left tank.

When you remove a fuel cap you should never hear air being sucked into a tank. If you do then you need the check the tank vent. Just st gets plugged up with dust. All it is is a rubber hose that hangs down the back of the tank from the top.

So basically - it is a 'one' tank draw as far as consumption with the other tank serving as a perpetual 'feed' to the 'draw' tank, yet both tanks must be refueled at each refueling stop to ensure equalization of weight. Is this correct? I have watched videos where the drivers refueled both tanks at the same time which was why I asked the question. Thanks Pat M.!

Meper

So basically - it is a 'one' tank draw as far as consumption with the other tank serving as a perpetual 'feed' to the 'draw' tank, yet both tanks must be refueled at each refueling stop to ensure equalization of weight. Is this correct? I have watched videos where the drivers refueled both tanks at the same time which was why I asked the question. Thanks Pat M.!

Meper

You can fill just one tank. It will equalize them as you are driving. It works both directions. It has nothing to do with weight distribution but rather a product of engineering because you only need one fuel pump. I fill both tanks at the same time because it takes too long otherwise... LOL

Got it! Thanks Pat M.

Meper